Collision
by Knight Wild
Summary: House's life hangs in the balance after a car accident. Will he survive? WilsonHouse friendship
1. Chapter 1

Title: Collision

Author: Knight Wild

Rating: T... for now.

Spoilers: _Season 1_

* * *

Disclaimer: **I do not own House people or places**. **They all belong to Twentieth Century Fox Studios, Katie Jacobs, Bryan Singer, David Shore, and all of the other brilliant people who created it. I make no money off this; it's strictly for enjoyment.**

_

* * *

_

_House: "Did you make a pass at Cuddy? I told you... she's only got thighs for me."_

_-Babies & Bathwater_

* * *

The roads were icy; slick and treacherous.

Dr. Gregory House scowled as he glared out the windshield. It had to storm, and today of all days, he had woken up late.

He glanced at the clock. Thirty-five minutes after eight.

"I can hear Cuddy screeching now." he muttered to himself. As if in agreement, his cell phone began to ring shrilly.

Slightly distracted by the phone; he didn't have time to react when the car in front him collided when another.

Not that he would've had any time.

He slammed on his brakes anyway, trying to stop the inevitable.

But of course, it happened anyway.

There was the shriek and crunch of metal, shattering glass as the windshield imploded.

Pain... then darkness.

* * *

"Jeez, look at this guy," the paramedic had been busily untangling the victim from the car wreck. "What a mess."

The driver of the ambulance glanced back at the patient. "Yeah," he said in agreement. "We probably take him to Princeton-Plainsboro. It's the closest."

They took off, sirens screeching.

The driver called back to the other paramedic. "He got any I.D.?"

"Hold on. Lemme check."

There was a moment of silence then a vehement curse from the paramedic.

"What?" asked the startled driver.

"You not gonna believe this."

* * *

_Wilson_

It was just by accident that he was down in the ER. A patient of his had been brought in earlier, vomiting blood and Wilson was going down to retrieve his records.

He was talking to one of the nurses when the doors slid open quickly to admit a pair of frazzled-looking EMT's pushing a gurney, containing a patient so blood-soaked you couldn't see his face.

One of the ER docs sprinted over. "What do you got?"

"Forty-year-old male involved in a multi-car collision. Pressure's down to eighty and dropping fast. Obvious head trauma and internal bleeding. His abdomen's swelling."

They started to wheel the patient past Wilson, who happened to finally catch a full glance at the man.

His sharp, wordless cry brought silence to the ER.

Sasha Holbrook, the nurse he had been chatting with, stepped up to his side. "Dr. Wilson? Are you all right?"

He shook his head. "No-no, that... that was _House_!"

Sasha, confused, asked. "What about him?"

"That patient the paramedics just brought in! That was Greg!"

And without another word, he sprinted after the rapidly figures.

He caught up with the paramedics; the doctor was scrubbing up quickly for surgery.

For _Greg's _surgery.

He stopped the EMT's. "I'm Dr. James Wilson. That man you just brought in-"

"He's a doctor here," one the paramedics volunteered. "Gregory House. I found his information in his wallet."

Wilson closed his eyes, leaning against the wall for support. He had been praying that he had been wrong; that it had merely been someone that had resembled Greg.

The EMT reached out, caught Wilson's arm. "Hey man, are you okay?"

"He's- he's my best friend," Wilson whispered, feeling the strength threatening to leave his knees. "What happened? What's his condition?"

The two paramedics exchanged uneasy glances that caused the marrow of Wilson's bones to freeze.

Whatever it was, it clearly wasn't good.

"There was a two-car pile-up on the freeway," one of the paramedics, whose nametag said Cook gently. "Your friend tried to avoid it, but the roads were very slick. His brakes didn't react in time."

Wilson nodded. "What about-about his injuries?"

This time, Cook's partner, Palmer answered. "Like we said downstairs, Dr. Wilson. There were obvious signs of a head injury, he was unconscious at the scene. But we don't know how serious it is. There was also internal bleeding, his abdomen was swelling and rigid. But again, we don't know how bad it is. There was also a compound fracture of the ulna, quite common in car accidents when the air bag deploys. Those were the only obvious injuries."

_Those were the only obvious injuries..._

Wilson shuddered as he recalled the horribly bloody mess of Greg's head and face.

"Listen... Dr. Wilson? We need to get back on duty. I hope your friend makes it out okay." with those parting words, Cook and Palmer departed.

Leaving Wilson standing alone, and fighting the urge to bolt into the surgical room.

Now that he was by himself, he allowed him to sink to the floor.

Placing his head in his hands, he whispered. "Oh god... please, don't let him die."

* * *

Dr. Eric Foreman paused as he went for his second cup of coffee. "So _where _is House anyway? Anybody know?"

Dr. Allison Cameron frowned. "No. And it's not like him... I mean, I've never known him to be late. Even if he was going to be, I'm sure he'd call."

The third doctor, Robert Chase, shrugged. "It's House." was all he offered.

A sudden furious clicking reached their ears.

Chase hid a smile. "Cuddy."

He was proven right when the hospital administrator strode into the office; not looking at all happy.

"Where's Dr. House?" she demanded.

"Not here." Foreman responded.

"He hasn't called in, either." Cameron added.

Cuddy gave a small growl of frustration. "He owes me twenty clinic-"

"Um... Dr. Cuddy?" came a meek voice from the doorway.

All four doctors turned.

A young nurse stood there, looking quite terrified at addressing the Dean of Medicine.

"Yes?" Cuddy asked.

"Um, I have some bad news. Dr. Wilson asked me to come up here and tell you." she said softly.

The temperature seemed to fall at least ten degrees.

"What is it?"

The nurse swallowed hard. "Uh... Dr. House, he, uh, on the way to work this morning, was involved in a multi-car accident."

Cameron gasped. Cuddy's face seemed to drain of color, and both Foreman and Chase looked shocked.

"He sustained a head and internal injuries. He's down in surgery right now."

The nurse had barely finished her sentence when the group of doctors ran for the elevator.

* * *

Wilson wasn't aware of the others approaching, until he felt a hand on his shoulder and Cameron's voice saying. "Has there been any word?"

He looked up, his eyes stinging with the tears he had been forcing back.

"No."

Cuddy took a seat next to him. "What happened?"

He explained what the paramedics had told him, adding. "I was right there in the ER, and I didn't recognize him at first... he looked so bad."

Cameron shuddered.

"It didn't sound good either, from what I heard. His pressure was eighty, and dropping fast, they said. His abdomen was swelling from the internal injuries, and he was unconscious, had been from the scene."

Foreman's jaw clenched; Chase pressed his lips together, and a tear escaped from Cameron.

"How long has he been in surgery?" Cuddy managed.

"Not long. Only about thirty minutes."

* * *

_One Hour Later_

_Cuddy_

All of us sat there, in the miserable waiting room. Time seemed to go by much more slowly than usual.

Dr. Wilson wasn't quite there, staring blankly at the walls as if they held some hidden meaning. Cameron, though trying to be brave, was leaking tears intermittently. Chase and Foreman were both looking grim.

Cuddy stood up and began to pace.

_Can't believe while I was yelling about the clinic hours House needed to do meanwhile he's dying on the freeway._

Something like guilt must've shown on her face, and Wilson, who apparently wasn't as out of as she thought, grabbed her arm.

"Don't." he said quietly, but firmly.

She realized, with sudden shock, that she was near tears. "I-I was screaming about his clinic hours, an-and he was-"

"Cuddy, he's going to be fine." Wilson interrupted, his tone still firm, but with an undercurrent of desperation.

It was more like he was trying to convince himself.

"You think?" she whispered, clenching his hand so tightly her knuckled turned white and bloodless.

Wilson's brown eyes closed for a moment. "He has to."

_He has to_

It seemed to be like a prayer.

She only hoped that it would work.


	2. Chapter 2

_Two-and-half hours later_

_Cameron_

She was trying desperately not to cry, but was failing rather miserably.

Not that she had became the total waterfall of tears that she wanted to be, but every few minutes, despite that her eyes were tightly clenched shut, tears would make their way down her cheeks.

_Stupid life. Why does it suck so badly? _

Her head was bowed, arms wrapped tightly around her midsection as if warding off a chill.

But the coldness she felt came from inside her, and she had no way of fighting it off.

_Why do people get cancer? Infarctions? Why do good people get in car wrecks?_

Some people, a lot of people, probably would've argued about the opinion of Dr. Gregory House being a good person. Most people believed him to be a rude, sarcastic, arrogant, condescending jerk. And that was putting it politely.

But Allison Cameron, since the day she had started working for him, admired and respected the man. Despite what everyone thought, he genuinely cared about people.

Later, that admiration turned into something more.

Something like love...

Even after their disastrous date which had left Cameron's pride wounded and her heart in pieces.

Cameron clasped her icy hands together, fighting off another wave of tears.

_If you die on me House, I'll never forgive you... _

_

* * *

_

_Four Hours Later_

_Wilson_

He was still sitting on the damn waiting room chairs... he had never realized how uncomfortable they were until now when he suddenly sat up straight.

Cuddy who had been sitting next to him, glanced around, apparently thinking that he had seen the doctor.

Wilson shook his head. "No. I was just thinking... should I have had a nurse inform Stacy?"

He didn't miss the tightening of expression from Cameron, nor the way she immediately turned her head away.

But Cuddy had gasped. "Oh, I didn't- do you think I should?"

Wilson frowned. House and Stacy's relationship was long and complex, filled with emotion. She was married, but she still loved him. He was still angry at her for what happened five years ago. But he still loved her, too.

While he was debating, he was surprised however, to hear Cameron speak.

"Why does she need to come? It's not like they're involved anymore, and everytime she's around, all she does is upset him."

Foreman looked pensive. "I don't think it'll make any difference, Cameron. He'll be unconscious when he comes out of surgery anyway. You know that."

Cameron didn't look too happy about that, but Wilson was grateful for Foreman's attitude. No _if _he comes out of surgery, but _when._

Guessing that they had come to a decision, Cuddy stood. "I'll go get her."

_

* * *

_

_Cuddy_

She walked quickly down halls, avoiding any eye contact that would make her stop and talk.

She didn't have time. She needed to find Stacy; tell her what happened, and get back to the waiting room.

Cuddy found Stacy in her office.

The attractive brunette flashed her a smile. "Hey Lisa. Hold on just one sec-" she gazed at Cuddy's face for a moment, then asked quietly. "What's wrong?"

Cuddy went to close the door.

Stacy erupted in a fountain of panic. "Goddammit Lisa! Just tell me what's wrong? What's wrong with Mark?"

_Mark...? _Cuddy shook her head. "It's not Mark. He's fine."

Stacy looked confused. "Well, if it's not Mark, then who..." her face, formerly flushed, drained of color. "Greg?"

Tears stinging her eyes once again, Cuddy nodded.

"What?" Stacy whispered.

Swiping at her eyes, Cuddy said slowly. "He-he was in a multi-car accident on his way into work this morning."

"How bad?"

Cuddy eyed Stacy, who appeared to be falling apart. Should she...?

She sighed. She'd find out anyway. Hell, she _worked _here for god's sakes.

She cleared her throat, as the tears made her throat froggy. "It didn't... look good. But we've had worse, and I made sure that he's got the best surgeon-"

'"Lisa? Please just tell, what were his injuries?" Stacy was practically begging.

Cuddy closed her eyes. Then after a moment, she said. "He had head trauma; they don't know how severe yet. But he was unconscious at the scene, still was when he arrived. There was also internal bleeding, his abdomen was rigid and swelling... blood pressure was down to seventy and dropping. Compound fracture of the left ulna."

Tears began to run down Stacy's face; though she made no effort to wipe them off. She seemed not to be aware of them.

"Do you want to come sit up in the waiting room with us?" Cuddy asked gently.

Numbly, Stacy nodded.

_

* * *

_

_Wilson_

He wasn't surprised when Cuddy returned shortly with a quietly crying Stacy in tow, who immediately sought his embrace.

"He's gonna be okay, Stace." Wilson murmured. That's when he realized she was saying assurances to _him._

"He's going to fine, James. He's too damn stubborn to quit now."

Wilson laughed shakily. "I thought I was comforting _you_."

Her dark eyes were serious, but she managed to give a small smile. "You're his best friend. You've known him... and put up with him longer than any of us. I know how much he means to you. And how much you mean to him. I don't think he would've made it past the..." she hesitated. "The infarction if it hadn't been for you."

_

* * *

_

_Cameron_

Sitting there; she couldn't help but overhear Wilson and Stacy's conversation.

And it made her ill.

Not Wilson, but Stacy. Yes, apparently Wilson had helped House immensely after the infarction which had drastically changed his life, and had left him crippled and riddled with pain for the rest of his life. But _Stacy _should've been there as well.

She had seen the look in House's eyes whenever he was near his ex, or even talked about her. He had desperately loved Stacy Warner; she had repaid him by betraying his trust, then leaving him.

Only to waltz back into his life five years later to mess it up again.

It wasn't in her nature to hate, but Stacy Warner was an exception.

_

* * *

_

_Chase_

"Do you think he's going to be all right?" he asked softly.

Chase hadn't really spoken much since the news of Dr. House's accident. He had been worrying, yet, albeit silently.

Foreman, who was sitting next to him, answered. "Depends on the severity of the head trauma and if they were able to stop the internal bleeding."

Chase cast a sideways glance at him. "Do you think you could check on their progress? With the head trauma, I mean? As, you _are _the neurologist."

Foreman frowned. "I doubt they'll let me. They'll say I'm emotionally involved..." he trailed off. "But I'll try anyway. See if we can get an update, at least."

Chase nodded.

After Foreman left, he was free to do something that he wanted to do, but still felt slightly embarrassed, at least in front of his colleagues.

He began to pray.

_

* * *

_

_Foreman_

Of course, the nurses argued with him, but he'd worked with House long enough that some of his personality has rubbed off. Or at least, he could do a hell of a impersonation.

He eventually bullied his way in, after he had scrubbed and suited up.

Gillian Reardon, a sweet, middle-aged woman, was one of the nurses. Foreman liked her immensely; she was one of his favorite nurses to work with. Not only because of her warm personality; she was one of the most talented. He was grateful that she was in on House's surgery.

His shoulders stiffened though, at the look on her face.

Usually, Gillian's default expression was caring, a soft smile on her slender face. It was not evident today.

He grabbed her hand. "House... he's- he's not?"

Gillian shook her head. "No, he's not dead, Eric."

"Then what's wrong Gillian? How severe were his injuries?" Foreman didn't pause for breath.

House had to be all right. Had to be. Man was too damn stubborn to let something like a common car accident take him out.

Gillian sighed. "Okay. The main cause of the internal bleeding turned out to be a kidney... a main artery had been severed. They repaired that, directed the blood flow back the kidney... so no damage. His liver was bruised, but it'll repair itself."

She was silent for a moment.

He waited.

She sighed again. "Okay, the head trauma was more troublesome. You're a neurologist, so you know that head wounds are damn tricky. He suffered a subdural hematoma, which of course, required drainage to relieve the pressure to his brain..."

Feeling a chill going down his spine, Foreman asked. "And?"

Gillian sighed. "He's in a coma, Eric. We don't know when he'll wake up."

Foreman bit his tongue hard as he heard her unsaid words.

_Or if he'll wake up at all..._

_

* * *

_

_Wilson_

He knew from the moment Foreman stepped back into the waiting room that the news was either ambiguous or...

Not good at all.

Foreman's spine stiffened, but his eyes revealed his suffering.

Wilson lurched to his feet. "What is it Foreman?"

The neurologist swallowed hard and couldn't meet Wilson's eyes.

Terrified, on the verge of panicking, he grabbed Foreman by the lapels and yanked him close; ignoring the gasps from their colleagues.

"He's _not _dead."

Foreman looked at him calmly. "No, he's not."

At those words, Wilson actually became aware that he was gripping the neurologist, and a flush of shame warmed his face.

He let go.

Bypassing the fact that he had just been throttled by the hospital's star oncologist, Foreman finally spoke.

"They stopped the internal bleeding. It was a severed artery to a kidney-"

Stacy gasped.

Foreman waited until she calmed down to continue. "But they restored the blood flow to it without any damage to the organ. His liver was bruised, but it will heal by itself."

Cameron asked quietly. "What about the head injury?"

_

* * *

_

_Stacy_

Foreman had fallen silent after Dr. Cameron's question, and Stacy felt herself gripped by a quiet terror. Ever since she had came back here, she had told herself; repeatedly, that she still did not love Greg. She married, for God sakes, happily married, to Mark.

She was surprised that her nose wasn't ten feet long by now.

Dizzily, she flashed back five years ago, to Greg's infarction. She had been terrified then, too.

But back then, she had been in his life, by his side. Able to have some degree of control...

She looked at Foreman and attempting to keep desperation out of her voice, repeated Cameron's question. "What about his head injury?"

Dr. Foreman sighed heavily. "He suffered an acute traumatic subdural hematoma. Basically, it's a collection of blood on the surface of the brain. Tiny veins between the surface of the brain to stretch and tear, therefore causing the collection of blood. They performed surgery to reduce the pressure, and drained the blood, but..."

"But what?" Stacy asked, realizing that her voice had risen with fear, but was unable to lower it.

"But..." Foreman's voice, in direct contrast to hers, had softened. "He's in a coma. They're not sure when, or if he'll wake up."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Sorry I haven't updated on any of my stories. I have a terrible case of writer's block; I can't seem to get any new idea flowing. But I'll keep trying, just for you guys!_

* * *

_One Hour Later_

_Wilson_

* * *

Everyone agreed that he got to visit Greg first; after all, he had known him the longest, and he was his best friend.

Wilson however, felt trepidation, and hated himself for it. He knew Greg had looked awful downstairs, and he knew what he'd look like after the surgery to remove the blood from his brain. When you had to drill into the skull...

_Suck it up damn you. Your friend needs you._

So he gritted his teeth and followed Gillian Reardon into the ICU.

"It'll be a bit of shock," she cautioned. "As Dr. Foreman explained, we had to drill to remove the blood, so his head's shaved, and there's quite a lot of bandages. Then there's the respirator-"

"Gillian, I'm a doctor, too. I do know what to expect." Wilson said tiredly.

She gazed at him shrewdly. "Yes, but you're also Dr. House's friend. And I'm simply warning you... he doesn't look good.

That, Wilson discovered, was a gross understatement.

The whisper of the respirator, something which had never bothered him before, now made him sick to his stomach. Knowing that Greg's life depended on the machine...

As Gillian had said, his head was swathed in bandages, in which blood peeked from around the edges.

His face was clean of blood now, but it was terribly bruised, his cheekbone and lip split.

A heavy cast was on his left arm; Wilson knew that pins and screws now held the bone together.

He hardly recognized his friend, twisted, bloody and broken. This wasn't Greg; this was grotesque imitation. He didn't want to look too closely, but forced himself to.

He took a seat next to him, ignoring the tears that were now flowing down his face. He was alone now. He could cry for his friend.

He grasped Greg's limp, relatively undamaged hand. It was bruised and cut, but not broken like his left arm.

He held it tightly, as if it were a lifeline connecting House to the living.

"You listen to me, dammit. You better wake up, and soon, Greg. You've got a lot of people worried about you, including me. Especially me."

* * *

_Cameron_

* * *

Wilson went in to see House first; and came back out looking terrible. It didn't take a genius, she decided, to see that he had been crying.

That sent a chill down her spine.

She caught his hand, and stared hard at him. "How... how is he? How does he look?"

He stared down at her blankly for a moment, appearing to grope for words. "Not...very good." His voice was rusty and hoarse.

_Oh Jesus, he thinks he's not going to wake up, that he's going to die._

These thoughts flashed through Cameron's head and stuck there, refusing to leave.

She was suddenly aware of Stacy Warner at Wilson's side, murmuring something that she was unable to hear. Saw James nodding, then, after embracing Wilson, she made her way into House's ICU suite.

Although she knew it was stupid, anger flared, making her face flush.

_What right does she have to be going in there? She LEFT him. Broke his heart, by all indications. He only suffers when she's around, why can't anyway see it but me? He needs his friends with him, not the woman who-_

"Cameron," Wilson was looking at her; eyes red, but his perceptiveness still intact. "Are you all right? You look a little... odd."

She swallowed. "My boss is in the ICU, seriously injured. I think I'm entitled to look a little odd."

Wilson bestowed on her a gentle, if sad smile. "But that's not all he is to you, is he?"

She started to protest, to say that she was over House, but Wilson held up a hand.

"I'm not blind, Allison. The way you look at him hasn't changed," he smiled again. "And I think, deep down, he feels the exact same way."

She blinked, absolutely flabbergasted. "What...how?"

"Conversations we've had. He's very protective of you, and on more than one occasion, I believe it's bordered on jealousy," he sighed. "He's just... afraid. To let himself have a relationship again, after..."

"Stacy."

_Wilson_

He's a bit surprised, no stunned, at the amount of venom Cameron carried in that single word.

Hell, she had practically hissed it.

He raised an eyebrow. "I take it you're not a fan of Stacy's?" He was speaking absently, as half of him was inside the ICU, fighting with Greg.

Cameron's jaw clenched. "I guess you could say that I'm not particularly fond of her."

"Why?" Wilson stepped up to the vending machine, ordered coffee. He felt exhausted, but didn't want to sleep until he knew that Greg was going to be okay.

Cameron watched him, and followed suit. But she was silent.

"Allison?"

"Because that-that _bitch _broke his heart! You can tell whenever she's around him, that it hurts him so badly. She's caused him nothing but pain, and I hate her for it."

She took a long pull of her coffee, and stared at him over the rim. "For hurting such a brilliant man like Dr. House, when he so obviously loved her. I know he doesn't give out his trust easily, and when he does..." she shook her head. "She betrayed it. So I'll always despise her."

Cameron went to turn away, "And she doesn't deserve to be in there with him."

She strode off, leaving him standing alone in the hallway.

* * *

M/C! I'll keep trying! 


End file.
